An email from Fanatics ONE landed in my inbox on Monday, November 9, with the subject line "Join the Fanatics American Express® Card Waitlist." Most credit card marketing gets deleted without a second look. This one got my attention.
The Fanatics American Express Card is a no-annual-fee card that pays you back in FanCash, lets you pick from more than 500 Topps-style athlete designs, and gives cardholders early access to select Topps drops. I am a big American Express guy, and I buy a lot from Fanatics. Here is everything Fanatics has disclosed so far, what is still unknown, and whether I think it is worth getting on the waitlist.
What is the Fanatics American Express Card?
The Fanatics American Express Card is a co-branded credit card that earns FanCash, the rewards currency you spend across Fanatics. It runs on the American Express network, is issued by First Electronic Bank under a license from American Express, and is managed by Imprint, according to the official Fanatics credit card site.
The partnership itself is not new. Fanatics and American Express first announced it back in May 2026, when The Points Guy reported that the annual fee, earn rates and welcome bonus were all still unknown. On Monday, November 9, Fanatics filled in most of those blanks with the official card unveiling and opened the waitlist to fans in the U.S.
Greg Lisiewski, President of Fanatics Financial Services, put it this way in the announcement: "Sports fans are not ordinary consumers, and this is not just another credit card." That is a bold line for a press release. The details are what decide whether it holds up.
What are the Fanatics Amex card rewards?
The card earns 5% FanCash across Fanatics, 5% on select streaming and ticket purchases, and 2% FanCash on everything else. Fanatics purchases include Fanatics.com, Mitchell & Ness, Lids, Fanatics Collect, Fanatics Live and Topps.com, per the press release.
Buy through the Fanatics App and you may earn another 3% or more on top, which is how Fanatics gets to the "8% or more" number in its announcement. The card site lists that extra 3% under its Fanatics ONE Member Pro benefits, so treat the 8% as the card's 5% plus the app's 3% or more.
The 5% on streaming and tickets has a ceiling. The card site says that rate applies to "select Fandom Merchants, up to $5,000 annually," and it links out to a separate list of which merchants count. The site does not name them on the main page, so check that list before assuming your streaming bill qualifies.
Here is the simple math for a collector. Spend $500 on a box through the Fanatics App and, at 8%, you get $40 or more back in FanCash. Put that same $500 on the card at a grocery store, and you get $10 in FanCash at the 2% rate.
Does the Fanatics American Express Card have an annual fee or a welcome bonus?
There is no annual fee, per both the card site and the press release, and the press release lists a $100 FanCash welcome bonus after $1,000 in spending in the first 90 days, plus another $100 for spending $500 a month for 12 straight months.
The bonus is where the two sources do not match yet. The waitlist site, at the time I am writing this, only shows the 12-month one: "Hit your $500 monthly spend for 12 months and get $100 back in FanCash," described in the fine print as a one-time reward for 12 consecutive billing cycles of $500 in net purchases.
Two sources report the 90-day offer, so I expect it to show up in the application terms. When the invite arrives, read the offer on that screen and do not rely on any article, including this one.
APR, foreign transaction fees, and the full cardholder agreement are not spelled out on the main page either. Those numbers matter if you travel or carry a balance, so look for them before you apply.
Why is the Topps early access such a big deal?
Cardholders get early access to at least four select Topps drops per calendar year, and in a hobby where most people lose most drops, that is the most valuable perk on the card. The site says email opt-in is required and the access is "while supplies last," and the press release calls it a quarterly early access presale for a select Topps product.
I know how hard it is to get product right now because I have lived it. I wrote about my own record with the Topps EQL lottery: 21 drops entered, two wins, and 19 "Not Selected" results. EQL itself says hot drops can draw 25 to 100 times more entries than there is product.
Four early shots a year will not fix that, and "select" drops means Fanatics picks which ones. Still, getting in front of the line four times a year is worth more to a serious collector than an extra point or two on gas. Darren Rovell posted about the card, and I agree with him that the Topps presale access is a big deal.
It also connects to a bigger issue I raised in my open letter on why you can't buy sports cards. Fanatics controls supply, so Fanatics deciding who gets early access is a real lever. A credit card is one way to hand that access to people who actually spend with them.
Why does this card make more sense now than it would have a few years ago?
Fanatics is now the main source for licensed baseball, basketball, and football cards, which makes a Fanatics rewards card far more useful to a collector than it would have been when the company only had baseball. Fanatics won the MLB card rights in 2021 and bought Topps in 2022; Topps added the NBA license in October 2025, and Topps NFL cards returned in April 2026 with 2025 Topps Chrome Football as the first set, per Resell Calendar. I broke down the basketball side in Topps NBA Hoops explained.
That matters for how I think about co-branded cards in general. I carry a couple of the Delta American Express cards and the Marriott Bonvoy American Express card. They make sense for me because I am loyal to Delta and loyal to Marriott, and I actually use the benefits. A co-brand card is only worth it when the brand on the front is a place you already spend.
For a lot of collectors, including me, Fanatics has become that place. If most of your hobby budget already runs through Topps.com, Fanatics Collect or Fanatics Live, the 5% adds up fast.
What else comes with the Fanatics Amex card?
Beyond the rewards and Topps access, the card comes with Fanatics ONE status, Fanatics Fest perks, a Championship Challenge, and the usual American Express network benefits. Here is the short version of each:
- Fanatics ONE tier points: 2,500 when the account opens, 2,500 more on each anniversary, and 10 points for every $50 you spend. You need a Fanatics ONE account to get the card.
- Fanatics Fest: early floor access, plus a cardholder gift and other perks per the press release. The ticket is sold separately. The next Fanatics Fest is June 24 to 27, 2027 in New York City, per Fox Business.
- Championship Challenge: correctly pick all four MLB, NBA, NFL, and NHL champions and win back a year of card spend, up to $100,000. The card site says it is coming in 2027 and that full details will be announced before entry.
- American Express network perks: Amex Offers, Amex Experiences presales for sports, music and theater, travel benefits, retail protections and extended warranty coverage.
The design is the fun part. You choose from more than 500 Topps-inspired designs featuring NBA, NFL, UFC and WWE athletes, with more leagues and players promised. The email I got showed Anthony Edwards, Rhea Ripley, Joe Burrow, Karl-Anthony Towns, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Luka Dončić. Karl-Anthony Towns, a lifelong collector, is helping launch the card. I did notice baseball is not on that list yet, which is a little funny for a card built on Topps.
Can you transfer American Express points to FanCash?
Yes. Eligible U.S. Membership Rewards cardmembers with American Express-issued cards can transfer points to FanCash at 1,000 points for $10, according to the press release, which makes Fanatics the first sports transfer partner in the program.
That works out to one cent per point. The Points Guy noted back in May that airline transfers will likely continue to provide the most value for most travelers. If you are sitting on points with no travel plans and a box you want to buy, it is an option. I would not make it the plan.
How do you join the Fanatics American Express Card waitlist?
Go to fanaticscreditcard.com and click "Join the Waitlist." You need a Fanatics ONE account to get the card, so set one up if you do not have one. There is also a "Check Your Status" link on the same page.
The waitlist opened to U.S. fans on November 9, and the press release says invitations to apply will start going out later this year. Fanatics has not given an exact launch date. Joining the waitlist is not an application, so you are not committing to anything by putting your name in.
Is the Fanatics American Express Card worth it?
If you already spend real money at Fanatics on cards, jerseys, or tickets, yes, it is worth joining the waitlist, mostly for the Topps early access and the 5% back. If you rarely buy from Fanatics, a general cash back card will serve you better because FanCash only spends inside the Fanatics world.
The honest catch is that 2% back in FanCash is not the same as 2% cash back. Your everyday spending turns into store credit for one company. That is fine if you would have spent it there anyway, and it is a bad trade if you would not.
For me, it fits the same rule as my Delta and Marriott cards. I am already loyal; I already spend there, and I would use the benefits. That is why I am paying attention to this one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Fanatics American Express Card have an annual fee?
No. The Fanatics American Express Card has no annual fee, according to both the official card site and the November 9, 2026 press release.
Who issues the Fanatics American Express Card?
The card is issued by First Electronic Bank under a license from American Express and is managed by Imprint. It runs on the American Express network.
How much FanCash does the Fanatics Amex card earn?
It earns 5% FanCash across Fanatics, 5% on select streaming and ticket purchases up to $5,000 a year, and 2% on everything else. Purchases in the Fanatics App can earn an additional 3% or more.
What is the Topps early access benefit?
Cardholders get early access to at least four select Topps drops per calendar year. Email opt in is required and access is while supplies last.
When can I apply for the Fanatics American Express Card?
The waitlist opened to U.S. fans on November 9, 2026. Fanatics says invitations to apply will start going out later in 2026, and no exact launch date has been announced.
Can I transfer Amex Membership Rewards points to FanCash?
Yes. Eligible U.S. Membership Rewards cardmembers can transfer points to FanCash at 1,000 points for $10, which is one cent per point.
Final Thoughts
Most co-branded cards are a logo on a plastic rectangle with a mediocre earn rate. This one has a real hook for collectors, because the company issuing the rewards also controls the product everyone is fighting to buy. Four early shots a year at Topps drops is not a guarantee, but it is more than most of us are getting now.
The rule I use for every co-brand card still applies. Get it if you are already loyal to the brand on the front, and skip it if you are not. A rewards card should pay you for what you already do, not talk you into doing more of it.
Interested in learning more?
- Topps EQL: Why You Keep Losing
- Why Can't I Buy Sports Cards?
- Fanatics Collect vs eBay Buyer Fees
- Delta's Starlink Snub: Why Elon Musk Says Its CEO Will Lose His Job
